I think the Big-3 dropped the ball on trucks by not considering the 4BT for lighter duty applications...like 1/2 ton FWDs and up to 3/4 ton RWD applications.
It’s a nice small-displacement turbo-diesel engine, already in production, and tested in many bread truck and UPS applications.
FWD on a pickup is counter-productive IMHO. Putting weight over the rear wheels on front wheel drive is akin to dropping an anchor. One of the reasons I’ve gotten the truck is that I can’t tow even my small trailer uphill on the grass with my FWD Escape - no traction even with only 1500-2000 pounds worth of trailer. The RWD truck is made for that purpose (and I upped the ante by snagging a 4WD). Put 2 yards of mulch on the back and it gets better traction.
I do agree about having a small turbo-diesel in a small truck though. Something like VW’s TDI engine in a little 3200 pound truck with class-2 towing would be perfect for typical homeowner tasks.
One problem with full-sized trucks now days - my shortbed Dodge pushes almost 5000 pounds. It’s heavy already. In the old days, you could get a full-sized truck at around 4000-4200 pounds curb weight but they’ve fattened up over the ears with all the safety-nazi crap that they put in them.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens when/if Ford re-introduces the F-100. If it’s lighter and a bit smaller, it might be a great platform for a 4BT type engine whether it be Cummins or Ford.